iscover
Forget the quintessentially Australian name, the Boomerang story more sums up the Australian can-do attitude that guided the nation through WWII. Dreamt up in response to an urgent need for a fighter aircraft, the type moved from approval to first flight in a little over 16 weeks, debuting in 1942. It’s a feat RAAF today rightly calls a “remarkable achievement”.
The breakneck turnaround – sans even a prototype – was achieved because the guts of the aircraft shared the same design DNA as the Wirraway trainer, already in production by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation. In total, 249 Boomerangs were built between 1942 and 1945 and flown by Nos. 4, 5, 83, 84 and 85 Squadrons in a home defence role. That meant escorting shipping convoys and dangerous operations against the Japanese. It was also known for its low-level army co-operation work over the New Guinea jungles, which included marking targets for P-40 Kittyhawks and Corsairs and helping to provide protection for soldiers on the ground.
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geoff Selby
says:My Father was in the Beaufort squadrons and served up in the Goodenough island area .
My enquiry is , will there be any articles about the Beaufort Bombers of which there were 700 produced in Australia and served a vital role in this countries effort in the Second W.W.
Thanking you in anticipation of a response.